baldysblog.co.uk

Posts Tagged ‘Anglosphere’

The current ‘big story’ is the leaking of some 90,000 US documents on the Wikileaks website concerning the Afghan War between 2004 and 2009 and revealing many, previously unreported incidents which amount to ‘collateral damage’ or, the killing of innocent civilians by ISAF Forces whilst conducting military operations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10758578

For all the ‘noises’ made by all concerned, I do not think that this material will make one iota of difference because there is absolutely no ‘amazing revelations’ of say a “My Lai Massacre ”. Though many no doubt will seek, incorrectly to say the killing of people at a wedding party by bombs or missiles is the same which clearly it is not. Poor or bad intelligence does not equate to an Officer losing control of his men and they, then going on a deliberate killing rampage of the people in front of them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Andrew Marr writing on the BBC web site made some very good points concerning “new media” and whilst I would agree that “News Content” should be paid for, the real problem is that the current Media Barons haven’t sorted out the answer to the basic question which is, HOW ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10745720

To my mind the reason for this is that no one is sufficiently daring enough to really “think outside of the box”. The focus seems not to have switched off from the past business model of a cover price + advertising revenue for the physical delivery of a paper product. The fixation on pay walls for access assumes that all you do is get the customer to switch from paying for a paper copy to paying for computer/mobile access and that is wrong.

Read the rest of this entry »

I suspect that the “Media Honeymoon” over the Coalition Government will soon come to an end as the reporting over these past few days seems to signal. Though not, I might add because serious questions are being raised by Government policies, it is not the way the British Media works.

The problem for media people is that they are reactive to events not proactive. “No news”, or even worse, “Good news” is bad for business, there is just no ‘story’ to chase so in the end these “media children” will… Well we all know what the Devil does in making work for idle hands… so, the media will get restless and like children on a journey, keep asking“Are we there yet ?”

Read the rest of this entry »

With the current state of the Public Finances, it is obvious that all Government Departments will come under very heavy pressure to reduce their spending and historically, Defence has always been seen as a ‘soft target’ for politicians, let us hope not, this time around. Just like at the end of the Cold War, people looked for a “Peace Dividend”, there really never is one because “If you want peace then, you must prepare for war” and that is still true to this day.

The real questions must hinge around defining accurately what our “Defence Posture” should be and why. This approach must be stuck to and regardless of the current economic problems because too often in the past, a cash figure seems to have been struck first and then our Armed Forces ‘squeezed’ to fit it which is obviously, the wrong way round.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hard to tell following yesterday’s match with the USA, we shall see. Although I love both Football and my Country, I must admit that I am no fan of watching the England Team which is best done from behind the sofa. I suppose if one starts from the position of accepting that they will always in the end, disappoint and fail to win any Tournament, one can tolerate seeing at just what stage they get eliminated.

My dear Pops was a great sports fan during his life and I once asked him whether in his opinion, it was more painful to watch Tim Henman or the England Football Team. He decided on balance, Henman as with 11 players on the pitch, there was always an outside chance that one could produce a magic moment. Yesterday the England goalkeeper made a blunder in the first half that was to gift the USA a draw but the real point was that the other 10 players weren’t good enough to score again in the second half and deliver a victory and it is that which doesn’t bode too well…

At the weekend, an Editorial in the Times, slightly tongue in cheek one hopes, called for fixed four year Parliamentary terms rather as they have 4 year fixed terms in the United States: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article7060988.ece

At the same time, it is widely rumoured that the awful and barely articulate (have ever seen him speak in the Commons ?), Jack Straw will rush forward proposals for a 300 seat fully elected Second Chamber to replace the House of Lords. Apparently this is really intended as a political trap for David Cameron – if so we can see the grubby paws of Gordon Brown all over that one.

The two ‘news items’ put together indicate the degree of trouble this Country is in and just how intellectually challenged the people in both politics and the media are these days.

Read the rest of this entry »

Much as I am fond of the US and its people, there are times when I do rather despair of the total naivety of some of them always demanding a black and white answer when the reality is nothing but a spectrum of greys going from black to white. A classic example of this was in Time magazine which I currently get on a weekly basis.

The question supposedly asked by Henry Kissinger: “Who do I call when I want to call Europe ?” Today as then and perhaps more so from a US perspective in these difficult times, the US wants to feel that there is a natural partner in the EU to help share the load but they really do need to wake up on this one because it is just never going to happen. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1967702,00.html

Read the rest of this entry »

We all like a clearly defined villain, someone we can all hate without fear of contradiction that we as individuals have made a mistake. There have been two stories in the past year running in the UK that have both these elements: MP’s Expenses and Banker’s Bonuses.

In both cases I believe that the “Perceived Wisdom”is totally wrong, worse a “cover up” and President Obama’s threats to limit American Banks in both size and scope, probably foolish and his message is more ‘politically populist’ than the sound of common sense. The reality behind both of these stories is something called complacency…

Read the rest of this entry »

I suppose with the year drawing to a close it would be obvious that there would be lots of “assessments” by journalists concerning Obama’s first year in Office and how the Hope he bought for change and a different approach has actually played out during that time.

Inevitably there will be many who start to wonder whether he will turn out to be a “One Term President”, my gut instinct is that it is far too early to say because often it is the unforeseen “events” which determine the fate of Presidents and Prime Ministers based upon how they react.

Read the rest of this entry »

An odd thing today, two drippy people trying to attack the Prince of Wales over his quite determined lobbying of Government Ministers on his pet interests by writing letters to them, frankly neither is worth reading, both write disconnected drivel but if you will, links as follows:

One Paul Richards,a professional Labour Lobbyist and very lightweight indeed: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6960833.ece

Andreas Whittam Smith who writes for the Independent, fuller in content by why did he write it ? http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andreas-whittam-smith/andreas-whittam-smith-prince-charles-and-the-looming-constitutional-crisis-1844147.html

Read the rest of this entry »